


How are you here?

by Worlds_we_Idolize



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Bleeding Edge armour, Civil War Team Iron Man, Depressed Tony Stark, Emotions, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Tony Stark, Irondad, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Mantis is a sweetheart, Mantis is doing her best, Mantis survives, Not Canon Compliant, Not Natasha Friendly, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, Oblivious Steve Rogers, Oblivious Team, Peter Parker Dies, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Rocket Raccoon - Freeform, Sad Ending, Ships if you squint, Suicidal Thoughts, ThorBruce if you squint?, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Angst, Tony Stark Doesn't Like Being Handed Things, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, bruce is coping, mantis powers, natasha is pretty mean, not team Cap friendly, post snap, spiderson, thanos fucked the world over, thor is coping, tony is grieving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-12 21:51:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16004036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Worlds_we_Idolize/pseuds/Worlds_we_Idolize
Summary: Mantis can feel others' emotions. What happens when she finally feels Tony's?orThe original team all survive the snap, including Mantis. One way or another everyone ends up back in Wakanda and eventually back at the tower. The team soon learns of Mantis' unique abilities and wonder when they'll see them used on Tony.(Not really Team Cap friendly, ignores some loose threads from Infinity War, Tony Stark deserves happiness)(Has a lot of background stuff alluded to- up for interpretation- nonresolved ending)





	How are you here?

**Author's Note:**

> Keep in mind the tags.  
> Inspiration struck and I just had to make this.  
> Starts off in a different way then how the movie ends, bare with me it's not to bad. Mantis' powers might be a little different but not really  
> I hope you like this!

The first time it happens, no one knows what to do. 

The newly reassembled team had been staying in the old Avengers tower for a few days. The decision to leave Wakanda was a difficult one, but then again there was no decision at all. The country was in intense mourning, just like the rest of the world. Princess Shuri was preparing to take her oath as Queen in light of recent events. The people were clearly hesitant to have the group of defeated heroes hanging around during this sacred time. 

The group, once they had all found their way back to Wakanda, had been more than willing to leave. There was no plan for how to return the world back to its original state. There was no plan at all. And after the stress of Tony and Steve seeing eachother again, no one wanted to test the tentative truce they had landed on. Steve didn’t understand why Tony was so willing to ‘forgive and forget’. But Tony didn’t understand how Steve thought he could just ‘forgive and forget’ at all. They were in no position to be fighting. The world was in shambles, he had nothing, so why not give Steve the illusion that he didn’t care about the Civil War at all? There was no point in doing otherwise. 

The surviving team had woken up one morning and looked outside the palace only to see an awaiting jet with Tony himself leaning against its exterior.  
“You coming?” He asked them when they approached. And that was that. 

So, the first time the anthropomorphic raccoon starts going on a rampage in the living room and the alien- Mantis- woman tries to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, no one expects her to go into a fit of fury, too. 

It was the first time the team had tried to strategize a plan to resurrect 50% of the universe, and their options were looking bleak. Rocket had jumped upwards and began shooting the couches with his high tech blaster. “WE’RE SPENDING ALL THIS TIME THINKING OF SOME BULLSHIT ‘PLAN’ INSTEAD OF HUNTING THAT TESTICLE CHINNED MENACE DOWN AND RIPPING OFF HIS-”, then Mantis touched his fur covered shoulder, and he went silent. 

“ALL OF MY FRIENDS ARE GONE! THE ONLY TEAM I HAD EVER KNOWN! THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO. I JUST WANT TO DESTROY EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING. ALL OF THIS IS USELESS. I WON’T STOP UNTIL HE’S DEAD!” She screeched, kicking over a coffee table and throwing a vase at a window as well.

Rhodey, Bruce, Natasha, Steve, and Tony stood there watching the scene unfold. Thor was the only one who made a move. Confidently, he turned towards the still steaming racoon as Mantis calmed down. “Rabbit, you’re friend has shown us your anger. But do not fret, we understand. All of us want revenge on Thanos, and revenge we will get.” 

“Yeah, whatever,” he muttered, eyes downcast.

“What,” Rhodey cleared his throat, “what happened to Mantis?” The man had easily accepted the Guardians when they first met, but truth be told none of them had taken the time to actually talk to them beyond an introduction. 

“That is one of her abilities. She feels as others do, at the touch of a hand.” Thor explained. He gestured at her with his lightning charged ax, an expression of something akin to pride on his face. Thor had been taking all of the recent chaos in stride, which the others still didn’t understand. 

“I didn’t know you could do all that…” Tony started. His eyes appraised her for a moment. “When we were on Titan she sedated Thanos with her voodoo while we all attacked him. I thought you could just make people nod off. But you did tell Quill about,” the engineer stopped, glancing at the small creature standing in the room,” about what that grape was thinking about.”

Mantis was now as composed as she was before her outburst. “My species are more known for our empathetic replication. There is no way to control it.”

After that, all of the group silently agreed never to let Mantis touch them.

That didn’t last long, though. 

Within the next few days she had shared in a fit of laughter with Thor, sniffled and wiped her eyes because Steve was thinking of those who were dusted, and an extremely eery blank face when she brushed against Natasha (which the others got chills from, thank you very much. Even Steve himself, who had always thought she just cleverly hid her emotions. Did she really not feel at all?)

It got to the point where she had started hanging around Bruce constantly. The man was strangely calm in a way that he had never been before. He and Thor laughed the most, joked around the most, and had the most optimism overall.

Mantis had been influenced by all of them, except one.

Tony was not actively avoiding the alien. He didn’t have the energy or time for all of that. He was working tirelessly to find a way to fix the world. None of the books Doctor Strange left behind made any sense, and Wakanda was on radio silence right now. It was like it was… hopeless. 

The others avoided him now, all except Thor and Bruce. Even Rhodey gave him a wide bearth, seeming to suddenly be pals with everyone except his best friend.

Okay. Okay. That’s fine.

The others began to place bets on how long it would take for them to get a glimpse into the billionaire’s head. They were all more than surprised that Tony had taken them into their tower and forgiven Steve. From what Rhodey had told them, there was nothing new going on in his life before the invasion.  
What could they say? They were curious. 

Natasha bet that the first time Mantis made contact, she would get the armour and start shooting at them. Rhodey wagered that she would just start downing coffee in a fog. Steve was confident that whatever emotion she displayed would be exactly the same as Tony himself. How could he be hiding anything after all this time? A facade can’t last that long. Even Rocket had shrugged and said, “Someone like that? Seems like he has a lot of pent up bitterness.” 

Bruce and Thor chose not to get involved in such speculation.

As time went on, Tony left the tower more and more to help “rebuilding efforts” in the city. Steve got frustrated, as it was obvious that Tony wasn’t serious about contributing to the hunt for Thanos at all. He had really hoped he had changed, he was earth’s best defender afterall. But no. The man just stayed in his workshop all day, only coming out for strategy sessions and flights off into the ruins of New York. 

Sometimes he had assured himself that Tony was just working on something really important, but when he snuck into the lab when he could (which was so much easier without an omniscient a.i guarding everything) all he found were old books and a red and blue suit. Or, the beginning of one at least. Tony seemed to be hand wiring all the material himself. For what? Steve had no clue. 

Natasha had started getting bored. She began to talk with Mantis more often, urging her to “look at that object, over there.” Or “Inspect that important earth relic. It’s very important to our culture.” Doing whatever she could to send the woman into Tony’s path. It almost worked once. Mantis had eagerly stepped into the kitchen and made her way to the coffee pot Tony was currently staring at. 

“Excuse me, may I look at this religious sculpture?” She asked, eyes bugging out and her white teeth flashing in a smile that stretched from ear to ear. 

The engineer looked up at her and blinked. After a moment, he pressed a button on the machine and picked up the mug it had been filling. He snorted out a laugh, “Big mood. Have at it.” He carefully placed the ‘#1 Dad” mug into her outstretched hands (Natasha wondered for a second why the hell he would have something like that. His daddy issues could fill an entire book, seriously, what?). And started making a cup of his own. He clinked the ceramic together, “the only worship I partake in.” He stated with a wink. With that, he left the room. 

“Goddamn it.” The spy mumbled, stealing the mug from the alien’s hands and sipping at it for herself. 

 

The next close call happened at training. Steve wouldn’t admit it, but his relationship with Tony was at the forefront of his mind. There was no breakthroughs with Thanos, and the trail kept getting colder and colder. He figured that at this point it was just a waiting game. So, he thought about Tony. A lot.

Sometimes he'd silently follow him through the tower, working up the nerve to confront him. The paths Tony had taken him on were sometimes confusing in and of themselves. He'd wander aimlessly until he ended up at one residential door on the floor beneath his penthouse. After staring at the door knob (which everyone had taken to using after the a.i went offline) he'd enter quickly and quietly. Once, Steve had gone in after the man had left. All that was in the room was a lone bed and a stack of textbooks. Nothing interesting at all. So, yeah. He never got the chance to confront him. 

“How about we try some evasive maneuvers today? If we stand a chance, we’ll have to outlast our opponent.” Steve announced. 

“Dodgin’ stuff? No offense humie but shouldn’t we focus on takin’ down the prick?” Rocket scoffed. Steve felt himself bristle under the scrutiny. Whatever, he was new here. He clearly didn’t know how things worked. 

“Fine. We’ll also do some team building drills. See how our skills play off each other best.”

Everyone got to it. Tony and Rhodey worked on establishing whose suit could withstand certain attacks better (Rhodey agreed to take any heavier hits while Tony attacked from behind, and Tony agreed to cover Rhodey with his shields while he deployed missiles). 

Thor channeled Storm Breaker’s lightning into precise volts that he sent at Cap’s shield, which he deflected at surrounding targets (“ How strong should I make these, Captain?” “It’s fine as it is”. Steve did not want to test how his sacred shield would hold up against the might of Thor’s new weapon. Tony had been smart enough to give it back to him). 

And Rocket and Mantis tried to subdue Natasha as she jumped around the room. 

Bruce sat in the corner, eating Sabra while reading a fantasy novel of some kind. The Hulk had refused to make an appearance. 

Eventually the group had worn themselves out and the speed of combat was slowing down. Tony landed on one of the practice mats and summoned the armor back into the module on his chest. “Alright, alright Honey Bear. I have places to be.” He yawned as the last nanobots crawled up his arms. 

Steve took note of how close he was standing to Mantis. Would it be bad if he just…?  
Without a second thought, Steve stepped backwards into Natasha as she reloaded one of her widow bite stunners. At the unexpected force of the shove she made a sound that she would never call a yelp, and released the clasp on the stunner. 

Mantis shrieked as the tasers flung towards her face. “Ah!” 

Tony moved with a speed that no one normally associated with him outside of the armor. He flung himself in the way and tackled her to the mat, arms wrapped around her so he could roll and take the brunt of the fall. “Tony!” Rhodey called, lifting up his face mask. 

The tasers dug into the mat where Mantis had been standing. They surged electricity into the plastic, burning it to a crisp. A deep hole melted into the material, sending up smoke in its wake. When Nat had been fiddling with the dial it had been on full charge. 

 

They gathered around to look at the heap on the ground. Mantis’ head was tucked into Tony’s shoulder and she shook with tension. All Steve was focusing on, though, was any emotion she seemed to be showing. He didn’t know how dangerous the widow bites had become, and was a bit horrified of what could’ve happened if Tony hadn’t gotten in the way. Everyone else seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Carefully, Mantis stood up. She extended her hand to Tony, who she had been covering previously. Why wasn’t she..? 

And then everyone saw that in the split second between flinging himself in front of the tasers and falling to the ground, Tony had deployed the bleeding edge armor to cover the entire front half of his body, including his hands. The armor was still continuing to spread, plating his back in metal. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, hauling himself to his feet and calling back the bots. He shook out his hair and wiped his palms on his black pants. 

“Ye- yes. Thank you!” Bruce walked to her side, putting his arm over her shoulder so she would fill with calm. 

“Watch your step next time, Steve.” Nat admonished quietly. The words had no heat behind them, though. She merely gave him a knowing look and made for the door.

 

 

Everyone was now convinced that Mantis must have touched Tony at some point and they had all just missed it. Natasha was adamant that if that were true, it had to have happened at a time when none of them were present. He was hiding something. Knowing him, he probably threatened her never to get within a five foot radius of him. 

Progress with the infinity gauntlet was nearly nonexistent, and the stress was properly setting in. 

It was Thor who finally thought that they needing a distraction. “Friends! I believe it is time that we revive one of our best customs. It has been to long since we’ve enjoyed the levity of one of our ‘ team nights’. Why not have one this night?” The others glanced around. 

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea actually.” Bruce chimed. The group turned to face him. “What?”

“You hated team nights.” Natasha argued.

“That was back when I had to worry about a giant green rage monster showing up whenever I got to excited.” 

“Fair point.” 

“I probably can’t come,” Tony shrugged, “I arranged to be at… something tonight.”

“What? Another clean up project?” Rocket sneered slightly. He was under the impression that the planet had always looked like this and everyone was just trying to make him think Thanos had trashed it this much. Quill always had made it sound less than nice. 

Tony gave a small exasperated sigh. “No. A local high school is spearheading the effort to pool together resources and essentially combine all the remaining staff from their district. They want to get the schools open again for the kids.”

“And why do they need you there?” Steve asked. 

“ I had already been working with the school before. They thought I’d have some good suggestions.” He didn’t see it, but Natasha was struggling not to roll her eyes. 

“And what were you working with a school on?” 

“Wow, has game night started already? I didn’t know we were playing twenty questions!” Tony quipped. “I’m a philanthropist. Sue me. But I wouldn’t suggest it.”

Bruce choked on an amused laugh. 

Steve had it. “You know what Thor? Great idea! Team night. Everyone is required to be there.” He clasped the god on the shoulder and sent a cutting glance at everyone in the room. 

“I really shouldn’t cancel.” Tony tried to appeal. 

“This is for the good of the team. And therefore the plan to save EVERYONE. The real mission, remember?” Steve tightened his grip on Thor’s shoulder. 

Tony’s eyebrows shot up at the insult. The remark had struck. “Fine.” He stood up stiffly and left to the elevator, pulling up a contact on his phone. He scrolled until he got to the 'M's'. 

“Don’t sound so excited about it.”

 

The scene in front of Tony was both familiar and absurd. Everyone was dressed up for their little get together. It reminded Tony of a certain night before the creation of Vision. Except the inclusion of a talking racoon and bug like alien. And the absence of a certain Robin Hood. 

For a moment he felt incredibly underdressed, but then remembered that he was still in a pair of slacks and a tie from an earlier meeting with a group of government officials, so that would do. Plus, it was his tower. And food. And alcohol. 

He supposed that this was one of their ‘grown up’ team nights. No pajamas and movies here. Yeah. 

“Tony! Come join us. We were just about to pop the champagne,” Rhodey greeted. Tony felt the beginnings of a smile pull at his lips. Rhodey’s antics were always a treat. 

“And I was about to recount some of my most interesting tales from our time apart. I have bested many foes in a way that I think would ‘give you a kick'.” Thor’s jovial voice instantly made the situation less tense. Yeah. Okay. He could have fun for a night.

Two hours later and things were going surprisingly great. Bruce watched Tony, slightly tipsy from a few to many glasses, laugh at every joke thrown his way. He quipped and snarked and charmed just like he used to. Before Thanos and the damage he had caused the world. It was nice to see. 

He had even started being friendly again. As much as he would never admit it, Tony was a friendly person. He had no issue with being in other people’s space. He was, for lack of a better word, touchy. Anyone within his vicinity was subjected to hair ruffles, playful shoves, and general clinginess. 

Before Ultron it had taken a while for him to do this with anyone other than Rhodey or Bruce, but before that near -end- of the world scenario, one could find him hanging off of even Steve’s arm fairly often. 

In fact, Bruce wondered if there was a chance that old habit would make a reappearance tonight. Everyone was gathered in a loose circle around the coffee table, lounging on the couches with drinks in their hands. Tony’s feet were thrown up on Rhodey’s lap and Natasha was perched on the arm of the furniture. Steve was seated in the closest armchair and Thor and Bruce were seated across. The laughter floated up into the high ceilings. The skyline hung ominously from outside the floor length windows. 

“But then! But then! I said ‘ son of a BITCH! How are you still alive?” Thor recounted, doubling over. 

“That’s amazing. Okay, I got one!” Tony swung his feet down and loosened his tie even further. His hands were already ready to start gesturing wildly along to his story. “So there I was, I was doing this small recon mission with a local vigilante when-”

“Drink?” Mantis asked, already handing him the glass.

“Sure-” he accepted, already jumping back into his narrative. Bruce and Steve shared a surprised look and Nat sat up the tiniest bit straighter. Tony never got handed anything at all-

And that’s when it finally happened. The smallest brush of a pale finger against the back of Tony’s scarred hand. Instead of the engineer coming back to himself and dropping the glass, Mantis froze.

A look of despair clouded her features, and they watched as her face crumbled. She let out a heavy sob that racked her entire frame, and clutched her arms to her chest. Tony looked on in confusion, not at all processing what had happened. 

Mantis sunk to her knees as the sobs overtook her. Now she was shaking everywhere. Tears ran down her face in streams, illuminated by the soft blue glow of her antena. 

“What-” Tony began, but was harshly cut off. 

“How- how could you-” Mantis swallowed back the beginnings of a shriek, “how could you do this?” She wailed. “Your son, your wife…”

Tony looked horrified. 

“Your friends! Gone!” She cried. No one moved at all.  
“You- you mourn! Even before. The weight is unbearable. The entire world. You don’t want to be here… you haven’t for so long!” Everyone stood up for lack of anything else to do. For a moment they looked torn. Bruce made to go towards Mantis, but should he even go to her? Or go to Tony?

“Your mind is- is breaking! Broken! Every moment is fear! He was inside your mind for so long! You worked, work, tirelessly and you still- believe you failed!” 

“I did fail.” Tony’s voice was merely a whisper. Thor could tell he didn’t mean to reply, but his response was automatic. 

“You’re son! Gone before your eyes!”

“He wasn’t my son.” For the first time since this ordeal began, Steve could see the hint of emotion that Mantis was portraying in his eyes. They grew shiny with what could only be tears. 

“Your friends betray you! Again and again! Leave. And all you are is empty and so, so afraid.  
You miss your mother, and - Jarvis-.” Tony looks shocked at this revelation. Though how could he? He was feeling it. 

“This pain extends everywhere. It’s- it’s always been there. You see no point. No end. No peace. You're only here because you have to get Peter back! And Pepper and Happy! You mourn the loss of a child, and a child you never got to have. How do you do it? How are you here?” Mantis is still holding herself on the carpet, looking up through eyes glazed over with tears. She searches for an answer, any answer, around her. The despair is tangible. 

Rhodey makes for his friend at the exact moment Rocket and Bruce close in on Mantis, gripping her arms to try to calm her. All she does is wail harder. “She normally stops by now-” Rocket rushes to explain. He looks lost at this turn of events. “She-” 

Mantis holds her palms to her ears and wails, loud and long. Calling out for an answer to a question she doesn’t even fully understand. Coping with a pain that isn’t even her own.  
Rhodey goes to catch Tony’s elbow, but stops when the engineer stalks out into the hallway. 

“Tones!”  
“Don’t.” 

Mantis’ cries can be heard for the rest of the night, even as Bruce holds her and Thor helps Rocket tell her favorite jokes (Rocket tries not to think about how Drax and Quill told most of them). 

No one sleeps through the wails, and the next morning no one questions Tony’s smile as he greets them. 

No one wins the bet, and no one wants to anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Oui I just want Tony to be happy.  
> I packed a lot of background/implied/unresolved stuff in there I thought would be picked up on and hopefully enjoyed (or not? this is angst after all).  
> So... yeah thank you for reading!!! I appreciate it so much. I really like this story and I hope you did too.  
> (It is a one shot but I mean.. if you want something expanded on in this au don't hesitate to leave a suggestion. All inspo is good inspo)  
> If this made you feel something leave a kudos. 1 KUDO= 1 PETER PARKER DUST PARTICLE


End file.
